Plug-tobacco-tagging machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. .H. LASAR.

PLUG TOBACCO TAGGING MAGHINB.

(No Model.)

P atented Feb. 13,1883.

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FIG 7 j Q Inventor N PETERS. Phnp-umu m hu, \VAIS'IIIqJul (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shet 4 G. H. LASAR. PLUG 130132000 TAGGING MAGHINB.

No. 272,271. 2 Patented Feb. 13,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GODFREY H. LASAR, OF ST.LOUI S, MISSOURI.

PLUG-TOBACCO- TAGGING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,271, dated February 13, 1883.

Application filed June 23, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GODFREY H. LASAR, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Tagging Plug-Tobacco, of which improvements the following is a specification. I Theobject of my invention is to expedite and economize the operation of tagging plugtobaccothat is, marking or characterizing the same by attaching thereto tags or marks of any desired form and suitable material.

To this end my improvements consist in a certain novel mechanism whereby a plug of tobacco is presented and held in proper relation to a series of tagging punches and dies, a series of tags simultaneously cut from a blank and embedded in a plug, the tagged plu g released from the tagging mechanism and delivered to a proper receptacle and another plug presented'in proper position fora repetition of the operation, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan or top view ofa plug of tobacco tagged by my invention; Fig. 2, an end view, in elevation, of a machine for tagging plug-tobacco in accordance therewith; Fig. 3, a side view of the same as seen from the left; Fig. 4, a transverse section through thesame at the line :10 w of Fig 3; Fig. 5, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 6, a plan or top view; and Fig. 7, a side view, partly in section, of the dieplate; Fig. 8, aside view in elevation; and Fig. 9, a plan or top view of the punch head or carrier; and Figs. 10 and 11, respectively, aside view in elevation, and an end view showing a modification of the same. 7

In conducting the operation'of the machine in which my invention consists, 1 subject a plug of tobacco to the action of mechanism by which a series of tags of desired form and material are at a single operation cut from a blank and embedded into the plug. I then remove the tagged plug, present another, which I subject to a similar operation, and similarly proceed with all of the series of. plugs to be tagged. The machine is illustrated in the drawings, and its construction and mode of operation will now be described.

The operative mechanism is mounted upon and supported by a frame, 1, consisting of a ciprocate vertically between guides on the frame. A series ofpunches,9 eightin the instance shown-the outer'ends of which are shaped conformably to the tags required to be made, is secured in the punch-head 8 by setscrews '10, each of said punches resting upon the end of an adjusting-screw, 11, by which it may be moved outwardly as required to compensatefor wear. A sectional die-plate, 13, having a series of dies, 14, is fitted in the upper horizontal plate or table, 15, of the frame, above the punch-head, each of the dies being in line with an opening, 16, inthe table, through which and through said die one of the punches passes on the upward stroke of the punchhead. A channel or passage, 17, is formed in the table 15, immediately below each of the dies, said channel being adapted to receive and guide a strip or blank, 18, of tin, tin-foil, paper, leather, or other material selected for the formation of the tags, said blanks being fed through the channels by a pair of receiving feed-rolls, 21 22. The rolls 21 22 are intermittently rotated, in consonance with the downward strokes of the punch-head, by a crank, 23, secured upon one end of the shaft 5, and having a radial slot, 52. A link, 24, is.

pivoted at one of its ends to a block secured adjustably in the slot 52, and at its other end to a block similarly secured in theslot 54 of an arm, 25, which is journaled on the shaft of the lower feed-roll, 21, and carries a pivoted pawl, 26,en gaging the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, 27, secured upon said shaft.

It will be seen that an intermittent motion, the degree of which maybe varied as required by adjustment of the blocks in the slots 52 54,

is thus imparted to the feed-rolls, with the re-- sult of correspondingly moving the tag-blanks passing between said rolls. The tension of the rolls upon the blanks may be increased or diminished'by set-screws 28, which are adapted to exert a greater or less degree of pressure upon the bearings of the upper feed-rolls, and 22.

A horizontal pressureplate, 29, extends across the table 15, above the die-plate l3, and is connected adjustably at each of its ends to a vertical bar, 30, passing freely through it, and having a strong screw-thread at its top, which is engaged by a main nut, 31, and a jamnut, 32. The bars are titted to slide in guides 33 on the frame 1, and at their lower ends are formed into cam-frames 34, within which cams 35, secured upon the shaft 5, are adapted to rotate, and, by their action upon the cam-frames, to impart vertical reciprocating movements to the bars and pressure-plate. The pressure-plate is recessed spherically below the nuts 31, within which recesses washers of corresponding form are inserted, and is held to a bearing against the nuts by springs 36, abutting at their ends against the plate and against projections on the frame of the machine, by which means automatic longitndinal adjustment of the pressure-plate upon the bars is admitted, in conformity with variations of thickness of theplugs oftobacco, which I are held down upon the die-plate by the pressare-plate during the tagging operation, and the uniform embedding of the tags in the several plugs is thus assured. An open-bottomed feed-hopper, 37, in which the plugs of tobacco 38 are placed, one above the other, is secured lines in Fig. 2, it uncovers the bottom of the feed-hopper and permits a plug of tobacco to drop therefrom upon the table, which plug is by the traverse of the feed-slide to its central position (shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 4) pushed forward to apositiou immediately beneath the pressureplate, and between the same and the die-plate, in which position it is permitted to remain during the tagging operation, in which the feed-slide remains at rest. By the succeeding movement of the feedslide to the left the tagged plug is pushed from the pressure and die-plates to the left-hand side of the table 15, whence it may be removed by hand, or by an automatic couveyer, to a suitable receptacle. Motion is imparted to the feedslide bya rock'shaft, 40, mounted in hearings in the frame, and having its upper arms, 41, coupled by links 42 to the feed-slide. The lower arm, 43, of the rock-shaft is connected by a link, 44, to a block, 45, fitting in horizontal guides 46 on the frame, and carrying a friction-roller, 47, which tits in the groove 48 of a cam, 49, secured upon the shaft 5. adjacent to the crank 23 of the feed-gear, the camgroove 48 being concentric with its shaft for such portion ofitslength as suffices to cause the block 45 and connected feed-slide 39 to remain at rest during the period that the punches are acting upon the plug and tag-blanks, and are being withdrawn therefrom.

The construction of the punch'hcad illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 differs from that hereinbefore described, in the particular of affording facilities for the ready adjustment and employment of punches of different forms. This object I effect by a series of removable sections, 50, secured to the body 8 of the punchhead by bolts 51, each section carrying a series of punches, 9, of any desired form and relative arrangement. Any required section may be readily attached to and detached fronrthe punch-head, and it will be obvious that its use must be accompanied by that of a correspondingly-arranged die-plate.

In operation, the feed hopper having been supplied with a series of plugs of tobacco and rotation being imparted to the driving-shaft, a plug of tobacco is moved along the table by the feed-slide from the hopper to the dieplate, and there deposited. The pressure-plate is then drawn downward by its side bars and cams, clamping the plug between its lower face and the die-plate, and acting as an abutment to the punches, which, on the upward stroke of the punch-head, cut oft'a series of tags from the blanks and embed them in the plug. The punch-head then descends, withdrawing the punches from the tag-blanks and plug, and the pressure-plate is elevated by its cams, leaving the tagged plug free to be ejected and pushed toward its receptacle by the feed-slide at its next ensuing movement, after which the parts are returned to their former positions and the operation repeated successively upon the plugs supplied to the hopper.

I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination,substantially as sctforth, ot' a pressure-plate mechanism for giving intermittent movement to the same, a series of reciprocating punches, a series of stationary dies, a series of guides or channels, each adapted to receive a tag-blank, and feed-gearing adapted to impart intermittent traverse to a series of tag-blan ks between the pressure-plate and the punches.

2. Thecoinbination,substantially as setl'orth, of a pressure-plate having vertical intermittent movement, a stationary die-plate, a frame or table, and a series of guides or channels extending through said frame beneath the dieplatc.

Thecombination,substantiallyassetforth, of a pressure-plate having vertical bolt-holes and spherical nut or washer bearings, with the frame and cam-bolts, having springs and nuts, arranged for the purposes specified.

4. Thecombination,substantiallyasset forth, of a punch head or carrier, a stationary guideplate, a vertically-moving pressure-plate, a series of punches fitting in the carrier, and having each an end adjusting screw and devices for giving reciprocating movements to the carrier and pressure-plate.

' roll shaft and carrying a pawl engaging the V 5. The combination,in amachine for tagging plug-tobacco, of a punch head or carrier, a removable section fitted with a series of punches, end adjusting screws and lateral setscrews for securing the punches in the head,

substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for tagging plug-tobacco,

I thecombination of an open-bottomedfeed-h0pper, a feed-slide adapted to reciprocate beneath the same, a pressure-plate, a punch-carrier andseries of punches, a stationary guideplate, and a rock-shaft,- having arms coupled respectively to the feed-slide and to a sliding block actuated by a cam on the driving-shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. Thecombination,substantially assetforth, with a die-plate and a series of punches, and a pressure-pl ate timed to operate intermittently, of a feed-roll and shaft, a ratchet-wheel secured thereto, an arm journaled on the feedteeth of the ratchet-wheel, a longitudinallydie-plate, feed-gearin gadapted to intermittently traverse a series of tag-blanksthrongh said 3 5 channels, a feed-hopper, and an intermittentlyreciprocating feed-slide, these members being combined for joint operation, substantiallyas set forth.

i GODFREY H. LASAR.

Witnesses BENJAMIN BRAZELLE, JOHN G. MORRIS. 

